Electronic alarm clocks are well known in the art. An alarm clock is typically set to produce a loud sound at a certain time in order to wake up a user.
Some alarm clocks are implemented to switch on a built-in radio and use the audio sound of the radio as a wakeup sound. These alarm clocks allow the user to select the radio station and volume.
A user typically has preferences regarding the audio content that is played in his or her ears. These preferences are the reason that he or she will prefer one radio station over another. Moreover, the user's preferences extend to specific content of the selected radio station. By way of example, the user may prefer to hear the beginning of the most recent news program on the selected station, rather then the real-time content that is broadcast when he wakes up.
The ability to buffer and store streaming data, and the ability to play them with a delay, is well known in the art and is taught by US Patent Application No. 20040042103 to Mayer, which is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. The Mayer patent application relates to retroactive recording and/or replaying events after such events have been broadcasted and also to a situation of switching between channels.
However, the only way for a user to wake to a broadcasted event, such as the beginning of a news program, using prior art alarm clocks is to set the wake up time of the alarm clock to the exact time in which this event is broadcasted.